Republic of the Philippines

NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY

Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM NO.: IM-SECMATH3-1STSEM-2020-2021

COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION

Bayombong Campus

DEGREE BSEd COURSE NO. SECMATH 3

PROGRAM
SPECIALIZATION Math COURSE Logic and Set Theory
TITLE
YEAR LEVEL 1 TIME FRAME 3 Hrs WK NO. 2 IM 2
NO.

I. CHAPTER TITLE
Chapter 2: Propositional Logic

II. LESSON TITLE

Lesson 1: Language of Symbolic Logic

III. LESSON OVERVIEW

Although traditional categorical logic can be used to represent and assess many of our most
common patterns of reasoning, modern logicians have developed much more comprehensive and
powerful systems for expressing rational thought. These newer logical languages are often called
"symbolic logic," since they employ special symbols to represent clearly even highly complex logical
relationships. We'll begin our study of symbolic logic with the propositional calculus, a formal system
that effectively captures the ways in which individual statements can be combined with each other in
interesting ways. The first step, of course, is to discuss the types of proposition and define precisely all of
the special, new symbols we will use.

IV. DESIRED LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:

a. identify which are propositions and which are not;
b. give examples of propositions;
c. represent a statement in symbolic form;

V. LESSON CONTENT
What is symbolic logic?

Symbolic logic is the method of representing logical expressions through the use of symbols and
variables, rather than in ordinary language. This has the benefit of removing the ambiguity that normally
accompanies ordinary languages, such as English, and allows easier operation. It is by far the simplest
kind of logic—it is a great time-saver in argumentation.

What is a Proposition?

A proposition (sometimes called a statement) is a sentence that is either true or false. It can be
thought of as the "atoms" of propositional logic. Propositions are sentences about facts. If a sentence
expresses an opinion about something instead of a verifiable fact about something, then it
is not a statement. If a sentence is unclear enough that it would be impossible to determine whether or not
it is true, then it is not a statement. If a sentence express commands or gives directions, it
is not a statement.

The Truth Value of a proposition is True (denoted as T) if it is a true statement, and

False(denoted as F) if it is a false statement.
Examples:

1. John's hair is brown.

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NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM NO.: IM-SECMATH3-1STSEM-2020-2021

o This is a statement because it is either true or not true. Either John's hair is brown and the
sentence is true, or John's hair is not brown and the sentence is false.
2. I make a lot of money.
o This sentence is not a statement because it is unclear what I mean by "a lot." How much money
would be enough to be considered "a lot?" $50,000/yr? $250,000/yr? $1,000,000/yr? Because it is
unclear how much we mean by "a lot," it is impossible to determine when this sentence would be
true and when it would be false; therefore it is not a statement.
3. I make more than $50,000 a year.
o This is a statement because it is clear enough that we can determine whether or not I am telling
the truth. I either make more than $50,000 a year and the statement is true, or I do not make more
than $50,000 a year and the statement is false.
4. This sentence is false.
o This is not a statement because it is neither true nor false; it is a paradox. If this sentence is true,
then it literally means that "this sentence is false", which is a contradiction. If this sentence is
false, then it means that "it is false that this sentence is false", or in other words, that the sentence
is true, which is a contradiction. So because this sentence seems to be neither true nor false or
both true and false at the same time, it is not a statement.
5. Go to bed.
o This sentence is not a statement because it cannot be true or false. It is not asserting that any
particular fact is true. It is just giving a command or an instruction.
6. x < 76
o This is a sentence, even though it is written using math symbols instead of English words. We can
tell that this is a sentence, because we can translate the math symbols into words and write out
this sentence as, "The variable x is less than seventy-six."
o This sentence is a statement because it asserts a fact about the variable x. Either x is less than 76
and this statement is true, or x is not less than 76, in which case this statement is false.
7. x + 1 = 2
 This is a sentence but not a proposition because it can be both true or false.

Types of Propositions

1. Simple Proposition

Simple propositions are statements which cannot be broken down without a loss in meaning.

Example:

1. John and Charles are brothers.

 This cannot be broken down without a change in the meaning of the statement. Note the
change in meaning with "John is a brother" and "Charles is a brother."

2. Rodrigo Duterte is the president of the Philippines.

 This proposition has only one component.

2. Compound Proposition
A compound proposition is composed of two or more propositions.
Examples:
1. Jack is singing, while Jill is dancing.
 As you notice, the first example is made up of two propositions, namely:
Jack is singing.
Jill is dancing.

2. If the road is wet, then either it rains today or the fire truck spills water on the road.

 The second example, on the other hand, is composed of three propositions, namely:
The road is wet.
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 Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM NO.: IM-SECMATH3-1STSEM-2020-2021

It rains today.
The fire truck spills water on the road.

Symbolizing Propositions
Logicians usually use the lower case of the English alphabet p through z to symbolize
propositions. They are called variables. The upper case A through Z are called constants. For example,
if we let p stand for the proposition “Jack is singing,” then it is symbolized as p. Thus, instead of saying
“Jack is singing,” we just say p.

In addition to propositions, propositional logic contains another element: operators/connectives

on propositions.

The symbol •(dot), which is read as “and,” is used to symbolize the connective of a conjunctive
proposition. Let’s take, for example, the proposition “Jack is singing and Jill is dancing.” If we let  p stand
for “Jack is singing,” and q for “Jill is dancing,” then the proposition “Jack is singing and Jill is dancing”
is symbolized as follows:

p • q

The symbol v (wedge), which is read as “Either…or” or just “or” is used to symbolize the
connective of a disjunctive proposition. If we let p stand for “Jack is singing” and q for “Jill is dancing,”
then the proposition “Either Jack is singing or Jill is dancing” is symbolized as follows:

p v q

The symbol ⊃ (horse shoe), which is read as “If…then” or just “then” is used to symbolize the connective
of a conditional proposition. Now, if we let p stand for “Jack is singing” and q for “Jill is dancing,” then
the proposition “If Jack is singing, then Jill is dancing” is symbolized as follows:

 p ⊃ q

The symbol ≡ (triple bar), which is read as “If and only if,” is used to symbolize the connective of a
biconditional proposition. .” If we let p stand for “Jack is singing” and q for “Jill is dancing,” then the
proposition “Jack is singing if and only if Jill is dancing” is symbolized as follows:

p ≡ q

The symbol  /∴  (forward slash and triple dots) is read as “therefore.” This is symbol is used to
separate the premises and the conclusion in an argument. For example, if the premises in the argument are
1) p ⊃ q,   2) p and the conclusion is q, then the argument is symbolized as follows:

p ⊃ q
p /∴ q

Lastly, the symbol  ~  (tilde), which is read as “not,” is used to negate a proposition. As I will
show later, any proposition can be negated.

 In some books, ‘&’ or ‘’ is used for and; ‘’ is used for not; ‘’ is used for imply; ‘’ is used for
equivalent.

 Below is the summary of some of the basic symbols used in symbolic logic.

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 Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM NO.: IM-SECMATH3-1STSEM-2020-2021

The five logical operators are all truth-functional connectives; the truth or falsity of each compound
statement formed by using them is wholly determined by the truth-value of the component statements and the
meaning of the connective. Every statement has what we would call a truth value. The truth value of a statement
is always either "true", which we often symbolize with T, or "false", which we often symbolize with F. So if the
statement p is true, then its truth value is "true", and we might write:
p=T. And if the statement q is false, then its truth value is "false", and we might write:q=F
Thus, using statement variables in order to cover every possible combination of truth-values (T or F), we
can develop a convenient truth-table to define the meaning of each statement connective.

VI. LEARNING ACTIVITIES

A. Tell whether the following is a proposition or not. Indicate the reason for your answer.

1. Scientists have discovered the remains of a lost civilization on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean.
Answer: __________ Reason: ____________________________________________________
2. Wow! Did you see that baseball sail out of the park?
Answer: __________ Reason: ___________________________________________________
3. The teacher exclaimed, "Don't come into class late again!"
Answer: __________ Reason: ___________________________________________________
4. I now pronounce you man and wife.
Answer: __________ Reason: ___________________________________________________
5.  The most important thing in life is family.  
Answer: __________ Reason: ___________________________________________________

VII. ASSIGNMENT

Give 5 examples of simple propositions and 5 examples of compound propositions. Of the 5 examples of
compound propositions, identify the logical connector used.

VIII. EVALUATION (Note: Not to be included in the student’s copy of the IM)

Quiz

IX. REFERENCES

An Introduction to Symbolic Logic. Guram Bezhanishvili and Wesley Fussner

https://www.maa.org/press/periodicals/convergence/an-introduction-to-symbolic-logic

https://www.maa.org/sites/default/files/images/upload_library/46/Pengelley_projects/symbolic_logic_final.pdf

Philosophy Index. Retrieved from http://www.philosophy-index.com/logic/symbolic/

Introduction to Logic. https://philosophy.lander.edu/logic/symbolic.html

Propositions and Symbols Used in Symbolic Logic. http://philonotes.com/index.php/2018/02/02/symbolic-logic/

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educational purposes only and not for commercial distribution,”
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